Unmanned vehicles (UVs) are seeing more widespread use in military, scientific, and civil sectors in recent years. These UVs range from unmanned air and ground vehicles to surface and underwater vehicles. Each of these different UVs has its own inherent strengths and weaknesses, from payload to freedom of movement. Research in this field is growing primarily because of the National Defense Act of 2001 mandating that one-third of all military vehicles be unmanned by 2015. Research using small UVs, in particular, is a growing because small UVs can go places that may be too dangerous for humans. Because of the limitations inherent in small UVs, including power consumption and payload, the selection of light weight and low power sensors and processors becomes critical. Low power CMOS cameras and real-time vision processing algorithms can provide fast and reliable information to the UVs. These vision algorithms often require computational power that limits their use in traditional general purpose processors using conventional software. The latest developments in field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) provide an alternative for hardware and software co-design of complicated real-time vision algorithms. By tracking features from one frame to another, it becomes possible to perform many different high-level vision tasks, including object tracking and following. This thesis describes a vision guidance system for unmanned vehicles in general and the FPGA hardware implementation that operates vision tasks in real-time. This guidance system uses an object following algorithm to provide information that allows the UV to follow a target. The heart of the object following algorithm is real-time rank transform, which transforms the image into a more robust image that maintains the edges found in the original image. A minimum sum of absolute differences algorithm is used to determine the best correlation between frames, and the output of this correlation is used to update the tracking of the moving target. Control code can use this information to move the UV in pursuit of a moving target such as another vehicle.

The quadrotor helicopter is a unique flying vehicle which uses the thrust from four motors to provide hover flight capability. The uncoupled nature of the longitudinal and lateral axes and its ability to support large payloads with respect to its size make it an attractive vehicle for autonomous vehicle research. In this thesis, the quadrotor is modeled based on first principles and a proportional-derivative control method is applied for attitude stabilization and position control. A unique means of using an optic flow sensor for velocity and position estimation in an indoor setting is presented with flight results. Reliable hover flight and hallway following capabilities are exhibited in GPS-denied indoor flight using only onboard sensors. Attitude angles can be reliably estimated in the short run by integrating the angular rates from MEMS gyros, but noise on the signal leads to drift which renders the measurement unsuitable to attitude estimation. Typical methods of providing vector attitude corrections such as accelerometers and magnetometers have inherent weaknesses on hovering vehicles. Thus, an additional vector measurement is necessary to correct attitude readings for long-term flights. Two methods of using image processing to determine vanishing points in a hallway are demonstrated. The more promising of the two uses a Hough transform to detect lines in the image and forms a histogram of the intersections to detect likely vanishing point candidates. Once the vanishing point is detected, it acts as a vector measurement to correct attitude estimates on the quadrotor vehicle. Results using onboard vision to estimate heading are demonstrated on a test stand. Together, these capabilities improve the utility of the quadrotor platform for flight without the need of any external sensing capability.

Vertical Take-Off and Land (VTOL) Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) possess several desirable characteristics, such as being able to hover and take-off or land in confined areas. One type of VTOL airframe, the tailsitter, has all of these advantages, as well as being able to fly in the more energy-efficient level flight mode. The tailsitter can track trajectories that successfully transition between hover and level flight modes. Three methods for performing transitions are described: a simple controller, a feedback linearization controller, and an adaptive controller. An autopilot navigational state machine with appropriate transitioning between level and hover waypoints is also presented. The simple controller is useful for performing a immediate transition. It is very quick to react and maintains altitude during the maneuver, but tracking is not performed in the lateral direction. The feedback linearization controller and adaptive controller both perform equally well at tracking transition trajectories in lateral and longitudinal directions, but the adaptive controller requires knowledge of far fewer parameters.

Utilizing the Euler-Rodrigues symmetric parameters (attitude quaternion) to describe vehicle orientation, we develop a multiplicative, nonlinear (extended) variation of the Kalman filter (MEKF) to fuse data from low-cost sensors. The sensor suite is comprised of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and a GPS receiver. In contrast to the common approach of using the complete vehicle attitude as the quantities to be estimated, our filter states consist of the three components of an attitude error vector. In parallel with the time update of the attitude error estimate, we utilize the gyroscope measurements for the time propagation of the attitude quaternion. The accelerometer and the GPS sensors are used independently for the measurement update portion of the Kalman filter. For both sensors, a vector arithmetic approach is used to determine the attitude error vector. Following each measurement update, a multiplicative reset operation moves the attitude error information from the filter state into the attitude estimate. This reset operation utilizes quaternion algebra to implicitly maintain the unity-norm constraint. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our attitude estimation algorithm through flight simulations and flight tests of aggressive maneuvers such as loops and small-radius circles. We implement an approach to aerobatic maneuvering for miniature air vehicles (MAVs) using time-parameterized attitude trajectory generation and an associated attitude tracking control law. We designed two methodologies, polynomial and trigonometric, for creating functions that specify pitch and roll angles as a function of time. For both approaches, the functions are constrained by the maneuver boundary conditions of aircraft position and velocity. We construct a trajectory tracking feedback control law to regulate aircraft orientation throughout the maneuvers. The trajectory generation algorithm was used to construct several maneuvers and trajectory tracking control law successfully executed the maneuvers in the flight simulator. In addition to the simulation results, MAV flight tests verified the performance of the maneuver generation and control. To achieve obstacle avoidance maneuvering, the time parameterized trajectories were converted to spatially parameterized paths, which allowed for inertial reference frame position error to be included in the control law feedback loop. We develop a novel method to achieve the spatial parameterization using a prediction and correction approach. Additionally, the first derivative of position of the desired path is modified using a corrective parameter scheme prior to being used in the control. Using the path position error and the corrected derivative, we utilize a unit-norm quaternion framework to implement a proportional-derivative (PD) control law. This control law was demonstrated in simulation and hardware on maneuvers designed specifically to avoid obstacles, namely the Immelmann and the Close-Q, as well as a basic loop.

In today’s fast-changing business climate, the priority on digital transformation demands organizations to develop innovation competencies to survive (Nambisan et al., 2017). To gain knowledge and know-how and stay innovative, organizations could work together with an Innovation Lab (IL) to remain competitive. To reach the best outcome from an IL, the dynamic between lab environment, resources, participants, and facilitation must be considered. Since SMEs typically have fewer resources, having an in-house IL is impossible. In addition, they require the guidance of experts to cope with the challenges of the digital era, to uncover solutions and continuous advancements, as innovation is critical for established companies to stay relevant in the phase of disruption and change (Berglund, 2007). This study aims to deepen the understanding of the phenomenon of ILs in the context of SMEs. More precisely, we are scrutinizing the integration of acquired knowledge, inventions, competencies, and innovations to see what both ILs and SMEs could do to achieve a better outcome. This study aims to originate valuable insights on integration patterns and key issues SMEs face during the IL, to fill literature gaps and build on existing theories of ILs (Fecher et al., 2020) and absorptive capacity (Zahra & George, 2002). Our goal is to contribute with managerial implications for SMEs who wish to participate in ILs and achieve a favorable outcome. Additionally, to give IL facilitators suggestions on making the process more suitable for SMEs. Our research aimed to answer the question of how SMEs integrate competencies and inventions developed during their IL participation in ILs. We established a multiple case study (Eisenhardt, 1989) to investigate the phenomenon. Together with existing literature and qualitative data, we set a model on: ‘SMEs’ Absorptive Capacity in the Context of Innovation Labs’. Our model describes how ACAP is present in the three lab phases and its effect on integrating competencies and inventions. First, our results show the relevance of preparation and participants in the pre- lab phase. Second, PACAP, including acquisition and assimilation, correlated with resources and the IL process in the lab phase. Third, in the post-lab phase or integration phase, RACAP with the capabilities of transformation and exploitation were significant for the business practice, IL process, IC, and resources. Concluding, each of the phases and SMEs’ capabilities during the IL process affects the integration and commercialization of the outcome.

Economic development in an area attracts more people to live in it. This increment drives the necessity to improve available infrastructure, like roads for instance, to satisfy a higher demand. Bigger roads and higher number of vehicles have raised the concern about possible pollution coming from these sources In this thesis, copper coming from road runoff in a peri-urban catchment in Portugal was analyzed. The catchment is located in the Coimbra region, center of Portugal. In order to model copper pollution in road runoff, it is necessary to couple a hydrological model and a water quality Based on a previous study (Kalantari, Ferreira, Walsh, Ferreira, & Destouni, 2017) a physical based hydrological model  MIKE SHE  coupled with the hydraulic model MIKE 11was updated and further coupled with  ECO Lab to simulate water quality and ecological processes. The results show an improvement of the hydrological model compared with the original one, nash-sutcliffe efficiency was raised from 0.59 to 0.77 and the coefficient of determination varied from 0.64 to 0.79. For copper the model behavior for punctual and distributed sources was analyzed. For punctual sources, highest concentrations were present in the grid points where the incoming sources were located in the tributaries, and these concentrations are rapidly reduced downstream. On the other hand, distributed sources approach gives higher concentrations near the end of the river than in the tributaries upstream. Comparing time-averaged model results along the river, with fresh water quality criteria according to U.S. EPA (2004), for punctual sources an extension of 978 meters (7,6% of the river) presents a concentration above CCC or CMC, on the contrary, for distributed sources the extension is lower with 494 meters (3,8%). The organic carbon partitioning coefficient have bigger influence on the results than other factors, nevertheless this influence is not marked. Modeled copper values do not agree well with the mesured values specially for periods with higher discharge as the model simulates lower concentration with higher discharge and viceversa. Copper boundary values for the model represent a big challenge considering limited data available. This thesis gives good overview about the coupling process between MIKE 11 and ECO Lab, as well as analyzes the importance of some factors as well as model limitations and uncertainties.

In this thesis I explore how design makes and unmakes citizenship through a collaborative independent project together with design student Théo Löfgren. I start out by looking at how the Swedish administrative levels of governance unmake citizenship by designing the Swedish citizens into customers. This has consequences since costumers have no obligations towards the collective, thus affecting sustainability on all levels (social, cultural, economical and ecological). Through my collaborative independent project I wanted to use design to critique that citizens are being designed into customers, as well as to create a design that promotes a citizenship of rights and obligations by co-creation. The result is a prototype of an interactive space called the Citizen Lab in which we (me and Théo Löfgren) use provotypes to create a discussion about the ‘customer citizen’ and the approach of participatory design to engage citizens in co-creation. The Citizen Lab was staged at the city library of Malmö (‘Malmö Stadsbibliotek’). In collaboration with the library and The Enforcement Authority (‘Kronofogden’) participants of the lab got to speculate about the future connected to problems and possibilities suggested by the collaborators. In the end the Citizen Lab proved to be a space in which participants could engage in co-creation as well as a place for us to try out our design and methods which were iterated on during the staging.

This Master’s Thesis project consists of the research, design, and fabrication of a system that could perform broadband impedance measurements (1kHz-20Mhz) of single cells using National Instruments Labview data acquisition and programming in coordination with a single cell capture device. Presented first is the background information on cells and their electrical properties, along with background in micro-total-analysis systems as well as impedance spectroscopy. Experimental Methods are then discussed for the electrode design, cellular modeling in COMSOL, fabrication methods, and Labview 8.0 Set-up and programming. Measurements were performed using the single-cell capture device on saline, yeast cells, and a polysterene bead. Analysis of the impedance data showed a clear visual and statistically significant difference between live yeast, the bead, and saline. A comparison of live yeast cells to nutrient-starved yeast cells was also performed and a distinct difference in spectra was observed.

Slakthusområdet, a historically significant slaughterhouse district in Stockholm, stands as a testament to the dynamic nature of urban landscapes, characterized by the relentless tide of rapid urban change. Over the years, this district has undergone multiple transformations, mirroring the shifting needs and aspirations of the city. Currently, Slakthusområdet finds itself on the cusp of yet another metamorphosis, as a proposal takes shape to rejuvenate the area into a vibrant hub that seamlessly integrates housing, workplaces, commerce, services, and green spaces.Traditionally, Slakthusområdet served as a focal point for the slaughter and meat packaging industry, bearing witness to the relentless rhythm of production. However, the winds of change blow through the district once again, igniting a collective imagination that envisions its potential to become a sustainable and culturally diverse urban food production system. This transformative project seeks to explore new frontiers in food production, harnessing the possibilities offered by emerging technologies and innovative practices.Among the innovative modes of food production to be integrated into the fabric of Slakthusområdet are insect farming, vertical farming, and lab-based food production. By embracing these cutting-edge approaches, the project aims to revolutionize the way food is grown, cultivated, and distributed within the urban context. The district's existing buildings, with their deep-rooted historical significance, will be preserved and thoughtfully integrated with new construction, forming a dynamic juxtaposition of the old and the new. This fusion of heritage and modernity will serve as a powerful metaphor, embodying the district's journey of transformation and adaptation.Drawing inspiration from Slakthusområdet's rich history, the project seeks to unlock its hidden potential by interweaving food production with other essential elements of urban life. Housing, cultural organizations, and public spaces will converge harmoniously, creating a tapestry of activity and fostering a sense of community. By embracing a holistic approach to urban planning, the project aspires to create a new identity for Slakthusområdet that transcends the boundaries of a traditional urban district. By blending the realms of food production, sustainable living, and cultural vibrancy, Slakthusområdet can become a beacon of inspiration and a model for resilient, inclusive urban environments. The integration of emerging food production methods within an urban fabric is a novel endeavor with the potential to reshape our cities, fostering self-sufficiency, reducing environmental impacts, and promoting social cohesion.In conclusion, the proposed redevelopment of Slakthusområdet signifies a pivotal moment in the district's storied history. By embracing a vision that interweaves sustainable food production, housing, cultural organizations, and public spaces, the project strives to carve a new path forward. Through this transformation, Slakthusområdet can emerge as a shining example of urban regeneration, one that transcends its historical legacy and embraces the challenges and opportunities of the future. As the project sets in motion, its impact on urban design and planning practices will reverberate far beyond the boundaries of Stockholm, inspiring the cities of tomorrow to cultivate resilience, foster inclusivity, and nurture sustainable urban ecosystems.

Understanding cell migration is a key step in unraveling many physiological phenomena and predicting several pathologies, such as cancer metastasis. In particular, confinement has been proven to be a key factor in the cellular migration strategy choice. As our insight in the field improves, new tools are needed in order to empower biologists’ analysis capabilities. In this framework, microfluidic devices have been used to engineer the mechanical and spatial stimuli and to investigate cellular migration response in a more controlled way. In this work, we will review the existing technologies employed in the realization of microfluidic cellular migration assays, namely the soft lithography of PDMS and hydrogels and femtosecond laser micromachining. We will give an overview of the state of the art of these devices, focusing on the different geometrical configurations that have been exploited to study specific aspects of cellular migration. Our scope is to highlight the advantages and possibilities given by each approach and to envisage the future developments in in vitro migration studies under spatial confinement in microfluidic devices.